A Place To Rest
by Chaos Poet
Summary: All anybody ever needs is a place to rest. Please reveiw.


Authors Notes: This is my very first Inuyasha story. I've always wanted to write one and since I'm kinda stuck on A Waking Dream, I thought I'd write this to see if something would come to me. I'm not normally a fan of Inuyasha and Kagome but when my fingers hit the keys, the story pretty much wrote itself.

Disclaimer: I do not in any form or fashion own Inuyasha. So don't bother suing me, you wouldn't get much.

Morning after morning, day after day, night after night. A new demon to face, both literally and metaphorically. Times of rest gave way to thought for Kagome. It was at times like these she was glad she had her friends. The beautiful and deadly Sango. The perverted yet kind Miroku. The wise young fox Shippo. Last on her list, but certainly the most important was Inuyasha. The young hanyou had somehow managed to worm his way into her heart, despite their constant bickering.

When they had first met, she knew that Inuyasha only stayed with her because of her ability to see the Jewel Shards. Now, however, he stayed for various reasons. Foremost of his reasons though, was he stayed with her because of his need to protect her. And even though he was reluctant to admit it to himself, his love for her.

Although she was a mortal, although she was similar to Kikyo in appearance, and although they were always arguing, he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone else. Deep down he still carried a torch for Kikyo, but it had dwindled down to be a nothing more than a match in the rain. His heart still raced, though, when he imagined what it would have been like had Naraku never made an appearance.

He knew that he cared for her, but they could never and would never be together. His gaze fell upon Kagome, who was standing under a tree that was a few feet away. The light of the afternoon sun swathed her in its brilliance causing him to realize why everyone thought her to be a holy woman. She was radiant, and that word alone did not even begin to do justice to her beauty.

As he watched her, Inuyasha felt the usual stirrings of desire wash over him. He suppressed them as he frequently had to. "Hey Kagome, do you think that we should head back to Kaede's village," he asked her, turning his thoughts to something that would walk along an innocent path.

She turned to face him with an inquiring look. 'He usually tries to avoid having to go there as much as possible,' she ruminated. "Sure I guess we could. Why do you want to go back there," she asked, not being able to hold back her curiosity. Her interest in the subject only grew when she saw him make a face.

"I thought that you'd be begging to go back by now," he said with a false air of annoyance. "You complain about not having any time to study for these tests of yours back in your own time so I was wondering why I haven't heard any griping lately," he said with the same kind of tone.

His timbre was obviously convincing enough for Kagome. She gave an angry stare and yelled, "Sit boy," as she often did when mad at him. "So you want me gone, is that it? You think I like having to go and take those tests," she shouted. "I take them because I have to. It's not like I can just stay here full time," she said.

Her last sentence struck Inuyasha like a blow from an ogre…

The size of mountain.

'She's not gonna stay, even after we defeat Naraku,' he thought glumly. He quickly covered his misery with an indifferent mask. "Do what you will. I ain't your keeper. I'm just trying to be considerate of you is all," he said before jumping to his feet and running away, leaving behind his companions.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all looked at one another trying to come up with something to say to the girl. "Kagome, I don't truly think that he meant he wanted you to leave. It was more like he was trying to look after your needs," said Miroku in his rarely used sagacious voice. Sango nodded in agreement. Shippo looked up at Kagome and smiled his typical heart warming smile.

"Don't let it get you down Kagome. He's just worried that you would one day leave for good," he said referring to her words. For one so young, he was an extremely observant child and also a very mature one considering he was merely six or seven years old. "Just go after him. We all know that you two are in love with each other. Just tell him," he said to the now blushing archer.

'They really think that Inuyasha and I are in love,' she thought. 'I do care for him, but I don't know if he feels the same about me,' she said to herself. She looked at Sango and motioned for her to follow her over to a nearby lake.

Once they were at the waters edge Kagome started playing with one of the long blades of grass adorning the earth, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. She sighed and looked out over the placid waters of the lake. "What do you think I should do," she asked softly, tossing a stone in the tarn. She thought of Sango as an older sister and always valued any advice she gave.

Sango looked down at her friend and contemplated what was just asked. After some time she turned to Kagome to speak. "I think you should follow him. He may not show his emotions well, but you know how Inuyasha is. Once he gets in a foul mood," she said, letting her statement hang. Kagome nodded and continued looking at the ripples making their way across the surface of the water.

"You're right. I know you are, but it's not like I can to catch up to him. The only way I could ever hope to do that is if I asked Koga to carry me, and you know how that would make Inuyasha feel," she said to the demon slayer. Sango shuddered at the thought of what would happen and nodded. "Still I know where he went to. He always goes there whenever he gets upset. He goes to his forest," she said, referring to the forest that she had found him in. To her he had been a sight of ruggedness. Long white hair, a strong looking build, obviously calloused hands and feet, and his clothes. She fell in lust at that moment, but she would never tell anybody that. It took months but that feeling of hunger eventually turned into love.

"I do love him Sango. I just don't know if he feels the same," she said quietly. She looked at her friend when she heard no response, shrieking when she saw the look on the slayer's face. It was a mix of astonishment and something similar to the look a person has after swallowing pure lemon juice. "What's that look for Sango," she asked nervously.

Not believing what she was hearing, Sango blinked twice before saying anything. 'And here I thought Inuyasha was the dense one,' she groaned mentally. "I'd feel pretty safe in assuming he reciprocates those feelings Kagome. I always thought you were just being patient with him," she confessed, relived that her words had made her friend smile.

Feeling that she was entitled to a little teasing, Kagome leered at her friend. "So is that what you're doing with Miroku. Just waiting for him to come and sweep you off your feet," she asked, laughing at the blush that spread over her best friends face. Her mirth grew when she tried to protest and ended up only being able to stammer incoherently. "You tell me to go and find Inuyasha, yet you don't ever try and win Miroku's heart for yourself. Be honest now, I said what my feelings for Inuyasha are. You have to say how you really feel about Miroku," she said in a singsong voice.

Blushing furiously, Sango looked sheepishly at Kagome. "I really do care for him. I may even love him," she started but was interrupted by a raised eyebrow from Kagome. "Oh alright. I love him okay? Happy now," she sighed, somewhat annoyed.

Giggling slightly as she nodded Kagome raised her head to the sky. Thoughts of Inuyasha filtered through her mind making her smile peacefully. 'I wonder what he's doing,' she thought. "Sango get Miroku and Shippo. "We're going to Kaede's village," she said without looking at her friend. Sango smiled and nodded, running to do what she was told. 'You just wait Inuyasha. I'm not letting you get away that easily,' the raven-haired archer silently mused.

Once everything was gathered, everyone hopped on Kilala's back. She roared in protest but took off into the air nonetheless. Once they were in the open skies the group was lost in their own individual thoughts. Kagome, thinking of Inuyasha. Sango, thinking of Miroku. Miroku, fantasizing about Sango. And lastly Shippo, dreaming of more ninja food from Kagome's era.

Time seemed to pass by fast, for, as it seemed like mere minutes had gone by, the travelers soon found themselves landing in front of Kaede's hut. They smiled at her warmly and before she could ask any questions Kagome took off in the direction of the forest.

"Where is she going," asked a curious Kaede.

"To find Inuyasha," Miroku put simply. 'I hope that everything works out,' he thought. He along with the other made their way to Kaede's home to rest and talk.

Kagome, on the other hand, was running as if the world's most terrifying demon were chasing her. 'I know he should be around her somewhere,' she thought. She rushed to the tree she found him stuck to when they first met. She didn't see him there but she found him in pleasant memories.

Not knowing where else to look, Kagome started to make her way back to the village when a thought hit her. She sprinted in the direction of the well connecting their time periods. As she made her way to the fountainhead, she saw a flash of red disappear into its depths, followed closely by a bright light.

'So, you thought you'd run to my time, huh,' she thought, slightly incensed. She hopped into the well, feeling like she was falling through some thick mist. She once again found herself at the bottom of the Bone Eaters Well. She struggled to clamber out and finally made it to the top. When she walked out into the sunlight she saw her mom, who looked agitated for some reason. 'I wonder what's the matter,' she thought. "Hey mom. Is anything wrong," she asked.

At her daughters voice she looked up and smiled at her, putting up a façade of content. "No nothing in particular. Are you looking for Inuyasha," she asked. "He's in the living room," she said once Kagome nodded. She thanked her mother and made her way over to the family house. 'I hope that everything works out,' she thought, unknowingly echoing Miroku's words.

"Yo," said Inuyasha, glancing up at her when she made her way in. He wore a vacant expression and stood up, making his way over to the priestess. "You okay? You look like Naraku was chasing you," he said with a half-hearted attempt at levity.

"No...I mean yes. Yes, I'm fine. You just surprised me is all," she told the young hanyou.

He smiled at her, and took a step towards her. "Didn't expect me to come here, huh," he asked moving forward still.

She took a step back and found her back against the wall. 'What's he up to. This isn't like him,' she thought. She let out a slight yelp when his hands pressed against the walls by her head. She looked at him and was about to yell those two infamous words, when she stopped.

His face was a maelstrom of emotions. 'What's up with him,' she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by his words.

"Did you mean what you said," he asked her.

"What do you mean," she asked, trying to remember what she had said that would have affected him this much.

"Did you mean it when you said that you couldn't stay their…with us…with me," he asked her, anguish dominating all other emotions at the moment. When he heard her say it, it had broken his heart.

Actually that was an understatement. His heart had been completely obliterated. One of the main reasons he was looking for the jewel shards now was so he could have an excuse to be with her. 'I just don't wanna have to force her to keep doing something she doesn't like,' he thought.

"Oh…that. Well I kinda meant it and at the same time I didn't mean it at all," she explained. It seemed to draw him out of his sadness for a while, long enough for him to give her a confused look.

"What do you mean," he asked her.

"I meant that I would like to stay there with you and everyone else all the time, but I can't. I have a life here too; it's not like I can give it up. I want to find Naraku and destroy him, but that doesn't mean I'll never come back to see you guys after we do kill him," she said, trying to make him happy.

Her words did the opposite of the desired effect. They made him angry and he showed it by pushing her away. He glowered at her and let out a growl before speaking.

"So after we kill Naraku, you think that it'll be all over and that just a visit or two will be enough to keep us happy," he nearly shouted. "It's not enough for me Kagome! I need you to be around me, I need to be around you, and if that means giving up on going after Naraku so you'll have to stay with us, then so be it," he said with a huff.

The young woman stood, frozen in shock at what she had just heard. 'Is this his way of saying he…loves me,' she contemplated. 'Hmm, I guess I'll have to check then,' she thought, grinning.

She fought back the blush that threatened to spill over her face and looked into his fierce, amber eyes. "Inuyasha…SIT BOY," she said making him fall down and curse loudly. His swearing stopped, however, when he felt her straddle him. He turned over and saw her smiling at him.

'What's she so happy about,' he thought.

"Inuyasha, come with me," she said sweetly, a smile still planted on her face. Her tone made it clear that this was not a request. He nodded and got to his feet, following her out of the living room.

Once they were inside her room she locked the door behind him and looked into his eyes. "Inuyasha, come here," she said, motioning for him to move closer.

'What's she got planned,' he ruminated.

Authors Notes: And that's the end of chapter one. How'd you like it? Tell me what you think. Please for the love of manga, anime, and videogames review!!! I'll post the next chapter when I get it wrote and when I get to a computer with the Internet. It sucks not being able to post this at home. One of the many woes of being poor I assume. Well what are still reading this for, REVIEW!!!


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